Sons of Patriarchy

What CORPORAL PUNISHMENT Looks Like in the Home

Jan 5, 2026
Sheila Wray Gregoire, an author and commentator on Christian marriage and sex, joins Marissa Burt, a researcher on evangelical parenting. They boldly critique the damaging narratives of patriarchal marriage and parenting, highlighting how purity culture objectifies women and normalizes corporal punishment. Sheila emphasizes the need for mutuality in relationships, while Marissa explores the historical roots of strict parenting. They advocate for compassionate discipline over control, encouraging a shift towards connection and understanding in family dynamics.
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INSIGHT

Patriarchal Sex Messaging Harms Both Partners

  • Prioritizing men's sexual needs in evangelical teaching lowers women's libido and increases sexual pain disorders.
  • Sheila Wray Gregoire links obligation-sex messaging to higher rates of vaginismus and shame in men.
ADVICE

Rebuild Desire With Mutual Intimacy

  • Make sex intimate, mutually pleasurable, and frequent enough that both partners reach orgasm frequently.
  • Address porn use, share mental load, and improve conflict resolution to restore desire.
INSIGHT

Blaming Women For Men's Self-Control

  • Patriarchal systems frame wives as responsible for men’s spiritual and sexual self-control.
  • Sheila says this removes agency from men and wrongly burdens women with male holiness.
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